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RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces raided the dormitories of several Hamas-affiliated university students in Ramallah early Monday, the party's students association said.

The association said the raids followed the bloc's decision to participate in university elections. Campaigning for the student election was due to start Monday.

Former president of the association Ayman Abu Aram and lecturer Hamdan Saeed were detained from campus, a statement from the group said.

The group has not participated in university elections for three years because it made members a target of the security services. It decided to field candidates after receiving written guarantees from Palestinian Authority security services that members would not be detained, the statement said.

An Israeli army spokesman said three people were detained in Birzeit overnight, amongst 16 across the West Bank.